Take Me Back
by NerdGirlHappy
Summary: When Rachel Berry walks through her doors, she reminds Cassandra about someone she hasn't seen in years. Is this her second chance? Can she convince Rachel to help her? Would Rachel even agree? Cassandra/Shelby relationship, eventual Cassandra/Rachel friendship, Brochel, Faberry friendship... Rating for language and sexual situations. Not a Julyberry fic, unfortunately...
1. Realisations

**A/N: So I had this idea and posted it along with a few others on Tumblr, to see which one I should start. I decided to just go with what ever I felt like writing, so here it is. Uhm... For anyone waiting for another chapter on My Little Girl and Little White Lion, I'm working on the next chapters now. **

**So I put this under Cassandra.J/Rachel.B even though the relationship is Cassandra/Shelby, because there's more Rachel in present time than there is Shelby. **

**For anyone interested in the other story ideas I had, they're on one of my Tumblr blogs URL nerdgirlhappy... :)**

**Rating is for language and sexual situations. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee. If I did, Idina would be back, with a much better storyline, and Kate Hudson would be signed on for more than just six episodes.**

**Hope you like it. Enjoy.**

**Chapter One: Realisations**

There was something different about Rachel Berry. Something, and she wasn't quite sure what, that drew her in.

It was strange, because Cassandra had seen so many big city hopefuls, so many kids with dreams of their name in lights. Rachel Berry should have been just another name on her student list.

But she wasn't.

There was something familiar about her. She couldn't quite place what. The stunning, one-in-a-million voice, or the long dark brown luscious hair. She'd seen it before.

Why couldn't she place the familiarity?

She watched her dance. Watched as the short brunette moved around the room.

Where has she seen her before?

It was driving her crazy… Crazier than usual. She sneered, barking out insults like they were the air that she breathed. If she couldn't place her, she'd beat her down until she figured it out.

As if that had some sort of relevance to who Berry reminded her of.

She fell. Fell to her knees and then extended a hand, as if expecting her to help her up. Cassandra narrowed her eyes, crouching down beside her and delivering the cold, hard truth.

And that's when it hit her.

Why she looked so familiar.

She'd seen those same wide, brown eyes staring up at her before. The same pouted lips and brown locks.

Shelby.

It struck her like a knife to the heart. Rachel Berry reminded her of Shelby.

She growled lowly, barely loud enough for even herself to notice, before dismissing the class. She glared at the students until it was just her left alone, still staring at the door with narrowed eyes and a tight jaw.

Shelby.

She closed her eyes tightly, biting her lip as memories hit her like a montage.

"_Okay, this is ridiculous. If you get the role, you get the role. If I get the role, I get the role. We shouldn't make a big deal out of it."_

"_Oh please Shel, you and I both know that if you don't get the call back you're going to throw the biggest diva tantrum as soon as we're alone."_

_Shelby huffed, rolling her eyes as Cassandra sprang forward, wrapping her arms around her neck to nuzzle her jaw._

"_Come on, you know it's true."_

_Shelby sighed, smiling as she ran her fingers through Cass's blonde locks._

"_Okay, so maybe I'm a little… Dramatic at time."_

"_A little?" Cass asked, lifting her head to raise an eyebrow as she scoffed._

_Shelby pouted, pushing Cass away as she laughed, picking up a pillow and throwing it behind her as she dashed from the couch._

"_Shut up!" She called over her shoulder, her eyes widening as Cass sprang from the couch, chasing after her._

_Shelby squealed, racing down the hall with Cassandra in pursuit. Cass caught up just as Shelby was about to close the door to her bedroom. She pushed forward, knocking Shelby back with her arms wrapped around Shelby's waist. They fell on to Shelby's bed, Cass smiling as Shelby laughed. Her giggles fell silent as she scrambled backwards, pulling a soft pink blanket from underneath her._

"_Wait!"_

_Cass sighed, rolling on to her side as Shelby stood from the bed, folding the blanket and placing it on the dresser._

"_What is with that any way?"_

_Shelby looked up, a small, sad smile on her face as she joined Cass back on the bed._

"_It's… Complicated."_

_Cass frowned, even as Shelby slowly kissed her neck._

"_Who's is it?" She asked, looking past Shelby to the pink fabric._

_Shelby sighed, moving back and looking up in to her eyes._

"_Rachel's."_

Cass shook her head, returning back to the now as opposed to the before.

"Fuck!" She swore, moving to sit on the seat in the corner of the room.

Rachel's.

Rachel's baby blanket.

Rachel Berry.

Rachel Berry looks like Shelby.

"Fuck!" She repeated, letting her head fall to her hand with her elbows on her knees.

Why, of all the people in the world, why did Shelby Corcoran's daughter have to walk through her door?

Wait… Did that mean Shelby was in New York too? She was obviously devastated when she was away from Rachel, for whatever reason that was, when Cass had last seen her. Cass doubted that Shelby would just let her daughter go off to New York on her own, especially when she knew all about the pressures and let downs that came with the Big Apple.

Was she going to see Shelby again? After almost eighteen years?

"Fuck!"

**A/N: Hope you liked it. Review and tell me whether it's worth continuing. I shall continue working on My Little Girl, Little White Lion and NYC, Rivalry, Dances and Second Chances. Laters**


	2. Confrontation

**A/N: Whoo! Chapter Two. Yay. So Rachel's a bit... bitter towards Shelby, which with the story line Murphy and whatnot came up with, I don't blame her. We're following Cassandra, so there won't be any chapter with Rachel or Shelby's POV... At least for a while. We get a sort of glimpse at what happened between Cass and Shelby, but not everything. **

**I hope you like it. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Two: Confrontation**

"_Where are you going?"_

_Cass stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed over her chest. She watched as Shelby through clothes and other items in to suitcases, dashing around the room._

"_I don't know. I just… I can't stay here. Something's not right, and I think I know what."_

_Cass bit her lip, her right leg shaking slightly as she fidgeted, watching as she left the bedroom to enter the bathroom, returning moments later with toiletries. _

"_Something's not… right?"_

_Shelby shook her head, barely acknowledging Cass as the blonde remained in the doorway._

"_So… When are you coming back?"_

_Shelby shrugged, lifting a black form fitting sweater and pulling it over her head._

"_I… I'm not sure. I… Don't think I will be. At least not for a while."_

_Cass stared at Shelby, remaining silent for minutes before turning on her heel and walking away._

"_Call me when you find that 'something' that makes New York seem right."_

_She called over her shoulder, knowing that Shelby will pause for a fraction of a minute before chasing her down the hall. She didn't want that. She didn't want Shelby to speak, because then she'll say things that'll make her leaving okay. Cassie, of all things, did not want that. She slammed the door shut, ignoring her name being shouted through the hall as she descended the stairs quickly._

"_Cassie!"_

"_Cass!"_

"_CASSANDRA!"_

"Cass?"

She shook her head, blinking slowly as she glanced to the left.

"Weston."

"You okay?"

She nodded, taking a large sip of whatever she'd put in her drink that morning before turning to him.

"What're you doing here?"

He cocked his head to the side, gesturing to the small brunette that had caused the influx of memories.

"Schwimmer?"

Brody rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Do you have to call her that? I know you like her, all that talent and drive, she's going to take Broadway by storm, and your name is going to be attached to her getting there. But do you have to bring her down so badly?"

Cass rolled her eyes, putting the drink down and hiding a grimace. Sure, she'd liked the enthusiasm Berry had shown. Reminded her of herself when she was younger, when she was still green. But that was before she reminded her of someone else.

"I insult so she's prepared. You, of all people, know that's how I teach."

Brody sighed again, walking towards Rachel and calling back to her with his head turned in her direction.

"Could tone it down a little."

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before approaching the group. As she got closer to the short brunette and her former protégé, she started to feel something she hadn't felt in years.

Apprehension.

Could she really treat her so… Like she had been, when all she saw was Shelby?

"You're late… And dressed as a Walgreen's underwear model."

Okay, so that may have been a little too harsh.

_Reign it in July!_

She tuned out, completely ignoring whatever Rachel had been saying, and oddly enough replying. Before she realized what was happening, she was sitting in a chair watching her class, and in particular Rachel, practically showing sex through dance while doing some rendition of Oops I Did It Again.

Her eyes unfocused as she stared at Rachel, the whip of her hair reminding her of Shelby. The way she walked reminding her of Shelby.

Everything reminded her of Shelby.

She was speaking now. When did she stand up? Oh, and now Rachel's biting back.

Interesting. That's another Shelby thing.

She sighed to herself as the room cleared out, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She picked up her bag as she left the room, heading downstairs and across the street to grab a coffee.

This was not how her day had been planned.

She'd returned to the studio, barking at some kid who had the audacity to step in front of her and slammed the door behind her. She sighed, placing the coffee on top of the piano along with her bag before moving to the centre of the room. She closed her eyes, stretching out before moving to music only she could hear. The door creaked open slightly. She opened her eyes, groaning softly as she noticed Rachel.

Just. Great.

_Oh. Am I speaking now?_

She really needed to pay more attention. She was just about to let Rachel leave with the hamper when she thought better.

If she was going to do this, she needed to do this now.

"Berry."

Rachel stopped just before the door.

"Put the hamper back down and get over here."

The hamper was on the ground in an instant, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor as she approached. She sighed, turned, and bit her lip.

"Okay, this is going to sound weird, and awkward, and completely, don't interrupt me, not what you were expecting, but…" She sighed again, running a hand through her hair. "Your mom. Shelby Corcoran right?"

Rachel went from curious and confused to completely expressionless. Her face blanked and her eyes darkened just slightly.

"What?"

Cassandra, ignoring Rachel's reaction, glared at her.

"Was it that hard to comprehend? I was asking you if you're mother's name is Shelby Corcoran."

Rachel, her expression still blank, ignored Cassandra's biting remark.

"Oh, well you called her my mom. There's a difference, as she'd so kindly pointed out to me before."

Cass frowned, finally recognising Rachel's less than pleased expression. She opened her mouth to speak, when Rachel beat her to it.

"Look, if this is some plot of hers that she's yet again, forgotten to fill me in on, you may as well stop now. She needs to stop meddling in my life, and I'd appreciate it if you actually treated me like a student, as opposed to one of her pawns in her own personal chess game, with you as Knight."

Rachel turned on her heel, storming off with the hamper now in her hands, the studio door shutting with a heavy thud.

Cass stood still, completely shocked and confused.

So that makes three feeling's she hasn't had in years.

_What the hell happened between Berry and Shelby?_

Cass groaned, leaning back against the windowed wall and letting her head fall to the window with a thud.

What was it about this year that attracted so much drama?

**A/N: So that was it. Reviews would be awesome. Hope you liked it. Laters.**


	3. Complicated

**A/N: Here we go. I'm trying to update stories I haven't been on in a while, so I thought I give the next chapter of this one a go. Clearly, Shelby won't be in here for a bit, mostly because I want to get the Cassandra/Rachel friendship going. I'm thinking that I want to change it to Faberry relationship, but it will be after Brochel, because I have an idea that may or may not include Brody and Rachel kind of, dating to hide something. Any way, I normally write Rachel and Shelby with a great relationship, or attempting one, but I wanted to try and write one with Rachel hating Shelby, at least for now. She's not going to be like, evil or something, just... It's complicated. (see what I did there?), but you'll understand more later.**

**Hope you like it. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Three: Complicated**

Cassie sighed, rubbing her temples as she willed away the headache. She drank again last night, but for some reason she didn't seem as intent on blinding wastedness as she normally was. Groaning as the door opened, she resigned herself to yet another hour and a half with her students and turned around. She watched with narrowed eyes as Rachel waved to Brody, smiling at something he said before turning to walk in to the room. Her eyes met Cassie's and for a split second, Cassandra felt… afraid? Cautious? Whatever it was, and as clichéd as it was, if looks could kill she'd be six feet under.

"Stop glaring Schwimmer and line up!" She barked out, shaking her head as she flashed to a similar moment with Shelby.

"_Seriously? Are you at least going to tell me what I did?"_

_Cassie frowned as Shelby continued to glare, her arms crossed over her chest and her jaw clenched tightly._

"_You really have to ask me that?"_

_Cassandra frowned, throwing her arms in to the air._

"_Yes! I really do. I don't understand what you're so pissed about."_

_Shelby sighed, shaking her head and turning away._

"_Why didn't you tell me about the show?"_

_Cassie gaped, blinking in confusion._

"_What show?"_

_Shelby turned back around, her hands now on her hips._

"_The show you got offered a role in! Why didn't you tell me about it? What? Did you think I'd be… Jealous or something?"_

_Shelby bit her lip, her glare softening as she took on a hurt expression instead. Cassie shook her head, stepping forward to place her palms on Shelby's shoulders._

"_That is so not why I didn't tell you. I was going to, but… All that stuff happened, and I…"_

Cassandra shook her head, glaring at her students and barking out instructions, counting out the steps. She glanced to Rachel, the younger brunette refusing to meet her eyes and instead choosing to stare directly in front of her, focusing on nothing but her steps. Sighing, Cassandra turned, sneering at a red head beside her and lifting the cane in her hands, pressing it against the girl's stomach.

"Suck it in or lose it, either one."

Cassandra stood at the front of the room, watching through narrowed eyes as her students ran through the choreography to near perfection. Gesturing to the door, she rolled her eyes.

"That was… somewhat better. Still nowhere near NYADA material, but you'll get there even if I have to kill your spirit to do so. Now get out."

She turned, leaning against the piano and closing her eyes. When the door clicked shut, she opened them, taking a deep breath before turning around, only to gasp in shock as she saw Rachel standing stone still in the middle of the room, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Jesus! What part of 'get out' did you not understand Schwimmer?"

She'd never admit it, but seeing Rachel standing there completely stoic scared her slightly. She wasn't expecting anyone to still be in there, willingly, on their own with her.

"Well?" She bit out, glaring at the girl still staring in the mirror.

"How do you know her?"

Cassie almost had to strain herself just to hear her, Rachel having spoken softly as if just thinking to herself.

"What?"

Rachel tore her eyes from her reflection for a moment, staring in to Cassie's and asking again.

"Shelby. How do you know her?"

Cassandra stared at Rachel, clenching her jaw tightly.

"Why do you hate her?"

Rachel continued to stare at her, turning back to the mirror at Cassandra's own question.

"It's… complicated."

Cass frowned, only just noticing the glimpse of pain in Rachel brown eyes before Rachel spoke again.

"You?"

Cassie sighed, shaking her head and wondering just why she was even speaking so… civilly to the younger girl.

"It's complicated." She reiterated, continuing to watch Rachel as she stared at her reflection.

"I look like her." She said softly, turning her head to swing her hair over her shoulder slightly.

"I noticed." Cassandra replied dryly, not really understanding why Rachel was talking still. And about Shelby. Friday, Rachel had been completely against even hearing Shelby's name.

"Is that why you hate me? Do you hate Shelby too?"

Cassandra sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temple again, her headache back tenfold.

"I don't _hate _Shelby."

Rachel frowned, biting her lip and turning to look at Cassie.

"So you hate me for a different reason?"

Cass rolled her eyes, muttering 'drama queen' under breath before folding her arms over her chest.

"I don't hate you either Ohio."

Rachel blinked at Cassie, shaking her head and turning around.

"Right. Okay."

Cassandra watched as Rachel picked up her bag, turning on her heel and walking towards the door. Stopping with her hand on the handle, she spoke without turning around.

"Did she hurt you too?"

Cassie drew in a breath, closing her eyes.

"_I'm sorry okay?"_

"_No, it's not okay. You just left Shelby. You. Left. You don't get to say sorry and expect everything to be okay!"_

"_What do you want from me Cass?"_

"_I want the woman I fell in love with. And you're not her."_

Cassie opened her eyes, watching as Rachel gripped the handle tighter.

"Yeah. She did."

For a moment, a silent moment, Cassandra and Rachel shared a second of understanding. Nodding, Rachel pulled the door open and left, the door closing softly behind her.

Cass sighed, running her hand through her hair and closing her eyes.

Her headache just got worse.

**A/N: So I hope you liked it. I'm actually going to try and work on the next chapter now, mostly because I have an idea for it, but I need to work on my English assignment too, so I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. Anyway, review it. Tell me how you think it's going. Laters.**


	4. Consideration

**A/N: So I'm actually quite happy with this chapter. I like introducing characters that are friends with Cassie, and Darren is probably my favourites of all my OC's. I decided to end it where I did, mostly because I felt the 'talk' Cassandra and Rachel will be having deserves it's own chapter. It's twenty minutes to midnight right now, and while I normally wouldn't have school every second Monday (tomorrow), I have to go in to finish my English assignment and get it filmed. So I'm more than likely going to stop here, I may not, it depends on just how tired I am. **

**Hope you like it. Enjoy.**

**Chapter Four: Consideration**

The next day was… awkward to say the least. Neither Cassie nor Rachel looked at each other, and Cassandra hadn't even insulted the shorter girl. Those in the class who had noticed Rachel staying behind the day before, were curious as to just what had occurred between the slightly overbearing diva and the teacher they were all terribly afraid of. Other's simply thought Cassie was just too hung over.

In reality, Cassandra was not hung over, just incredibly tired. She spent that night staring out her window with an unopened bottle of tequila on the table in front of her. She had originally intended to drink herself unconscious, but she just couldn't bring herself to open the bottle.

Cassandra, against her better judgement, was hoping that Rachel would stay back again, if anything just to hear exactly what happened with Shelby, to the point her daughter hated her.

She dismissed the class, once again turning her back until the door clicked shut. Taking a breath, she turned, and sighed.

No Rachel.

_Damn._

She shook her head, picking up her things and leaving her studio. She was met by Darren Lockley, one of the Playwriting professors, and Cassie's best friend of thirteen years, the only person to have known about Shelby and her.

"Alright, what's up your arse now?"

Cassie scoffed, shaking her head and glaring at her friend.

"Not in the mood Ren."

Darren rolled his eyes, checking his watch for the time. He just had the Senior Writing class, so that meant she just had Dance 101.

"Newbie brats annoying you again?"

Cassie snorted, pushing open the doors and wrinkling her nose as a gust of wind hit her.

"When don't they?"

Cassandra sighed, shaking her head.

"No, it wasn't so much they annoyed me today…" She bit her lip, glancing back at her friend as they crossed the street towards the café they usually visited. "Rachel ignored me."

Darren frowned, sitting down at the table by the window and placing his laptop case on the seat beside him.

"Rachel… Schwimmer?"

Cassandra flinched slightly, nodding her head.

"Yeah."

Darren shrugged, nodding at the waitress to get her attention.

"So? A student ignored you, big deal. Normally you'd bite their head off."

Cassandra glanced up at him, taking a deep breath and shaking her head.

"She's… She's Shelby's daughter."

Darren turned his head to Cass, his eyes widening as his hand fell from the air.

"Shelby? As in.."

Cassie nodded, groaning and putting her head in her hands.

"It's just… Frustrating. She looks almost identical to her, and I swear she inherited Shelby's talent."

Darren nodded, his eyes still on Cassie as he ordered.

"Skim milk half strength cappuccino, two sugars. So this is a bad thing?"

Cassie looked up from her hands, nodding as she glared at the waitress.

"Black, one sugar, extra strength."

The waitress nodded, scurrying off as to escape the look Cassandra was sending her way. Darren watched in mild amusement as the girl almost tripped trying to get away quick enough.

"Why's it a bad thing? Maybe she can get you in touch with her. I mean, come on Cass. It's been like, ten years since you last saw her, and you are still head over heels."

Cassie glared at him, shaking her head. Despite the truth in his words, she was not about to admit it.

"Even if I was going to get in touch with her, Rachel wouldn't, or probably couldn't help me."

Darren frowned, waving off the waitress as she returned with their coffees and asked if they wanted anything else.

"What do you mean?"

Cassie shook her head, sighing as she reached up and rubbed at her shoulder.

"I don't know really, just that my student has serious mommy issues."

At Darren's blank look, she sighed again.

"She hates Shelby."

Darren raised his eyebrows, lifting his head and opening his mouth slightly.

"Oh… Why?"

Cassie shrugged, picking up her coffee.

"No idea."

They were silent for a moment as they drank, each one looking at anything but each other.

"Alright, you need to relax a little. We're going out tonight."

Cassandra, with no energy left, simply nodded. Anything to get her mind off of Rachel and her mother.

Which didn't really work.

As while being led to a table in an upscale club/bar, Cassandra spotted Rachel standing with a taller, thinner boy and an older blonde. As she noticed her, Rachel turned, in the middle of laughing. Her eyes connected with Cassie's own, and she froze for a moment. Rachel was shaken by the boy at her side, him raising his hand and waving it in front of her face.

"That's Rachel I take it?"

Cassandra startled, turning quickly to glare at Darren. She nodded though, taking his hand and leading him toward the table. Slipping in to her stool, she threw her purse on to the table and sighed.

"I'm getting another headache."

Darren smiled softly, slipping in to the stool across from her.

"She looks like her."

Cassie groaned, glaring at him.

"Yeah, thank you, I hadn't noticed." She mumbled sarcastically.

Darren rolled his eyes, gesturing to the bar behind her.

"Want me to get you a drink?"

Cassie looked up at him, raising her eyebrow.

"You have to ask?"

Darren smiled, running his hand up her arm as he left. Cassandra closed her eyes, sighing once again before frowning. The stool across from her shifted, and as she opened her eyes, she blinked.

"Ohio? Please, do join me." She said sarcastically, wondering why Rachel was now sitting across from her.

"While your enthusiasm at seeing me is as refreshing as it usually is, I'm not staying long. I just want to know… What's your deal with Shelby?"

Cassandra groaned, lowering her head to her hands with her elbows on the table.

"Can this get any better?" She mumbled to herself, before lifting her head. "I tell you what, you tell me why you hate her, and I'll consider telling you how I know Shelby."

Rachel bit her lip, glancing over to where she'd been standing. The boy turned his head, raising his eyebrow to her and cocking his head.

"Fine. But not here." She turned back to Cassandra, pulling what looked like eyeliner from her purse and scratching something on to a napkin. "My apartment. My roommate has to work in the morning, and I don't have any classes. If you want to talk, come tomorrow." She slipped from the stool, barely glancing back and instead snaking her way across the floor back to her group.

"What was that about?" Cassandra turned, shaking her head as she took one of the glasses from Darren's hand.

"Nothing. Come on, I need to get drunk."

**A/N: Well, I hope you liked it. For anyone wondering, yes that was Kurt and Isabelle. I'll elaborate on that in the next chapter. Uhm... Review it? I gotta go, I'm trying for all these RP things on Tumblr, because I have some weird interest in them, and decided I wanted to try one, so I'm going to go scroll through Tumblr. Laters.**


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